These Are My JOTtings...

How Do You Stretch to a New Level of Writing?

Writing seems to be like any other area of life. Once we get a pattern going, it's easy to stay in the sweet spot.

Anyone who has perused my portfolio for more than...say...30 seconds has found my poetry pattern. That poetry pattern is my "sugar stick," my "sweet spot," and my "comfort zone."

Now, when it comes to mad-libs, short stories, novels or even slam poetry, the reaction is a little less enthusiastic.

I look at the words on the pages, which describe mad-libs and slam poetry, but for some odd reason the words are not making connection with concepts in my mind.

Let's take the Slam Poetry for instance. I saw a guy on YouTube performing a Slam Poem about 9/11 and it was amazing. But it was more like a soliloquy in a stage play than a poem...at least to me.

Here's the bottom line. I want to write a Slam Poem for the current challenge before next Saturday, but I'm not sure how to get started.

You'd think that as many poems as I have written, this new form of poetry would not be intimidating to me. Right? But for some reason I'm feeling a little challenged.

Regarding writing a novel I have a few ideas starting to dance in my head, but it will probably take more time to perfect. The anticipation of NaNoWriMo still feels a little intimidating in the preparation stage.

Exercises in any area of life do seem to stretch the body and the mind in ways that cause initial pain and soreness. However, when we snore up the courage to "Just Do It!" then the result it consistently gratifying.

I know I can do it. I just needed to talk it out to help myself get up to the starting line.

by Jay O'Toole
on March 20th, 2017